Tape winding machines are well known in the art. Such machines are used to transfer magnetic recording tape of the sort used in audio or video applications from the large supply reels typically prepared during tape manufacture onto the smaller hubs commonly employed in tape cassettes. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,637,153 (King), 3,814,343 (Bennett et al.), 3,940,080 (Bennett), 3,964,100 (Bennett et al.), 3,997,123 (King), 3,917,184 (King), 4,061,286 (King et al.), 3,753,834 (King), and 4,377,111 (Kincheloe et al.). Such tape winding machines typically receive a pair of hubs connected together by a leader tape, sever the leader tape into two sections, splice virgin or prerecorded magnetic supply tape onto the leader tape section attached to a first of the hubs, wind a predetermined amount of magnetic supply tape onto that hub, sever the magnetic supply tape so that the wound magnetic supply tape has a trailing end, and then splice the trailing end of the wound magnetic supply tape onto the leader tape section attached to the second of the hubs. Machines are known for conducting this tape splicing and winding operation either before the hubs have been mounted in a cassette or, alternatively, after the hubs have been mounted in a cassette.
Machines of the sort described above typically employ splicing tape dispenser-applicators (also known simply as "splicers") to splice the supply and leader tapes together during the splicing operations described above.
One preferred type of splicing tape dispenser-applicator now in common use, and described and illustrated in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 3,753,835 (King), uses a feed roll mechanism to advance a length of splicing tape to a position directly beneath a reciprocating plunger assembly. The reciprocating plunger assembly severs the advanced length of splicing tape from the remainder of the tape on the roll and thereafter presses the severed piece of splicing tape against the two subject tapes which are waiting to be spliced together. The splicing tape then serves to effect the splice between the two subject tapes.
An improved version of the splicing tape dispenser-applicator of U.S. Pat. No. 3,753,835 is described and illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,364,791 (Kincheloe).
Unfortunately, the splicing tape dispenser-applicators described and illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,753,835 and 4,364,791 suffer from a number of disadvantages. First, they are relatively bulky devices and occupy a relatively large "footprint" on the front panel of the tape winding machine. Second, the dispenser-applicators have a relatively complex design. As a result, they are relatively difficult and expensive to produce. Third, they require frequent and time-consuming maintenance in order to keep them in good running condition, so that operating costs are increased and available operating time is decreased. Fourth, their feed roll mechanisms operate to advance the lengths of fresh splicing tape to their plunger assemblies for cutting by pushing the lengths forward to a position beneath the reciprocating plunger assemblies. While such an arrangement tends to work well enough with relatively wide splicing tape, since the width of the tape serves to give the tape some stability, it sometimes fails to operate properly with relatively narrow splicing tape, which may buckle on itself rather than advance properly. This can result in the application of a defective splice or, even worse, it can halt the operation of the entire tape winding machine. And lastly, it is a relatively difficult and time-consuming task to hand-thread the splicing tape into the dispenser-applicators of U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,753,835 and 4,364,791, as must be done whenever a fresh roll of splicing tape is required.
Another preferred type of splicing tape dispenser-applicator, described and illustrated in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 4,462,858 (Goguen), uses a reciprocating feed block (equipped with adjustable suction means) to advance a length of splicing tape to a position directly beneath a reciprocating plunger assembly. As in the splicers of U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,753,835 and 4,364,791, the reciprocating plunger assembly of U.S. Pat. No. 4,462,858 severs the advanced length of splicing tape from the remainder of the tape on the roll and thereafter presses the severed piece of splicing tape against the two subject tapes which are waiting to be spliced together.
Unfortunately, the splicer of U.S. Pat. No. 4,462,858 shares some of the disadvantages associated with the splicers of U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,753,835 and 4,364,791, notably those of substantial bulk, complex design, and frequent and time-consuming maintenance.
Another form of splicer is manufactured by American Multimedia Inc./Concept Design of Burlington, N.C. (hereinafter referred to simply as "AMI/CD"). The AMI/CD device utilizes a rotating, reciprocating square "wheel" to apply a length of splicing tape to the two subject tapes which are waiting to be spliced. More particularly, that device comprises a four-sided wheel and complex valving means adapted to selectively apply either suction or pressurized air to openings formed in the wheel's four faces; the suction is used to maintain the splicing tape against the wheel faces, while the pressurized air is used to repel the splicing tape from the wheel faces. The valving means is adapted to apply suction to at least some of the wheel's faces at all times, so as to keep the splicing tape engaged with the wheel. The splicing tape is advanced forward by indexing the wheel one face at a time via complex advancing means, and successive lengths of splicing tape are deployed by first cutting the splicing tape along one corner of the wheel so that the splicing tape on one face is severed from the remainder of the splicing tape, and thereafter reciprocating the wheel towards and away from the two subject tapes which are waiting to be spliced so that the severed length of splicing tape is pressed against the two subject tapes. The suction holding the severed piece of splicing tape to the square wheel is terminated as soon as the splicing tape engages the two subject tapes, and a brief blast of pressurized air is thereafter applied to blow the splice flat, so that the severed piece of splicing tape will remain in engagement with the subject tapes as the square wheel is withdrawn.
Unfortunately, the splicing tape dispenser-applicator of AMI/CD also shares many of the disadvantages associated with the splicing tape dispenser-applicators of U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,753,835, 4,364,791 and 4,462,858, i.e., those of substantial bulk, complex design, and frequent and time-consuming maintenance. In addition, the splicing tape dispenser-applicator of AMI/CD is believed to suffer from the additional problems of slow speed and poor reliability.
Yet another splicing tape dispenser-applicator is manufactured by Electro Sound of Sunnyvale, Calif. This device is believed to be similar to the foregoing AMI/CD splicer, except that it uses a hexagonal wheel wherein the faces of the wheel are made of rubber and the corners of the wheel are made of a hardened material such as steel.
The Electro Sound splicer is believed to suffer from substantially the same deficiencies as the AMI/CD splicer.
Still other prior art relating to splicing tape dispenser-applicators is described and illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,117,051 (Kornblum), 4,174,247 (Dyck), 4,181,558 (Neubronner) and 4,328,066 (Kiuchi et al.).